


Kicks

by thefrogbrothers



Category: The Lost Boys (Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Santa Carla (Lost Boys)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:07:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23321431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefrogbrothers/pseuds/thefrogbrothers
Summary: The story of Lost Boys from the boys' perspective.---This is the continuation of myprequel story 'Shout'.
Relationships: David/Dwayne/Marko/Paul (Lost Boys), David/Marko (Lost Boys)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story makes references to my [prequel story 'Shout'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16625315/chapters/38973092) while closely following the storyline of the movie. Thanks for reading! Questions and comments always welcome!
> 
> \--- 
> 
> Lyrics at the beginning from 'Kicks' by Barns Courtney.

_\---_

_In the mornin' blood ran through my veins_  
_Comatose, Holy Ghost again and again_  
_And the night, yeah, pullin' up my head_  
_On your back, Cadillac, drinkin' till' I'm dead_

_Oh, come with me_  
_I'll show you how to live for free_  
_Nobody got a thing on me_  
_Done singing in the midnight street_

\---

In the heat of the summer nights, the scent of blood and sweat drifted so easily off the crowds of people. They came dressed in whatever they thought would solidify their reputations. They came to seek companionship: to party, to fuck, to prove themselves to strangers that would see them only by the light of the Giant Dipper as they hudled underneath sharing cigarettes and wordless promises through a mental fog. To some, the hundreds that flocked to the piers after dark would be overwhelming. Bodies mixed with bodies. A torrent of bad decisions flooding the streets. Someone could get lost in that crowd. Someone could walk right in there and get swallowed up forever.

Some people were looking to be swallowed up. These people stuck out, whether they mean to or not. These were the tourists, the aliens, the people from out of town that spend too much time looking at things on the boardwalk that are meant to be passed by. They examine every sign. They think each vendor is selling something new and exciting. They are much too friendly to the people around them. They linger at gift shops. They take stories of Santa Carla back to their friends and family after the long weekend and brag about them like they’ve done something impressive because, in a sense, they _were_ doing something impressive. At least, they thought they were.

To these people, Santa Carla was known as the ‘Murder Capital of the World’. Nighttime here not only provided an infamous party scene, but it was elevated to a discreet celebrity status. When you came to Santa Carla, you were also pushing the boundaries of safety. You were risking becoming one of the hundreds that disappeared from its streets, its homes, its stores, its _crowds_. If you walked onto the pier in Santa Carla, you accepted the risk that you might never come back.

The locals knew why, and they didn’t question it. As long as you respected the town, and the people in it, you weren’t in danger of disappearing. Most of them didn’t give it a second thought. It’s just the way life was. Every summer, they watched the masses roll in and never wondered why there wasn’t any trouble. The town had a way of taking care of itself. 

To some, they were overwhelming. Too many people in too little space. You couldn’t walk down the boardwalk without swerving through the downstream traffic. Too loud. Too rambunctious. Too much. 

And to others, they were a prize. A feast. They came in with the life and energy that only a thousand teenagers could. They filled the boardwalks, the beaches, the piers with animation and vitality. They were so distracted. So trusting. Stepping into Santa Carla was like signing a waiver, as far as those others were concerned. It wasn’t flooded, it was overflowing. Prospering. 

If one person went missing every few days no one would notice. People were expected to disappear from Santa Carla. This was the place people landed when they were lost in life. This was the place people ran to when they had nothing left. No one showed up to Santa Carla without a story or a reason. No one came here without the same nagging thought in the back of their head: I may never leave this place.

The heat of that particular night emanated from the heart of the pier. Music was its own lure, and they went like a moth to a flame. They bled out, across the boardwalks, out onto the streets, down into the town. Shops were packed. Gangs of young people roamed the streets in tight formation. There was a silent war happening - with the start of summer, each group wanted to claim its place for the next few months. Those that looked tougher, screamed louder, and carried more with them were treated as kings. A group that had remained from the previous summer continued to reign supreme: The Surf Nazis. They ran around town in a shared convertible sans top and sans muffler. To look at them the wrong way was to challenge their authority. They answered to no one, and no one stood in their way. Except for one group.

The Lost Boys weren’t what you would call a ‘gang’. They existed together - you never saw one without another - on motorcycles and on foot. Sometimes they seemed to appear out of nowhere, moving as a pack with assumed carelessness that acted as a front to something much more sinister and synchronous. But they didn’t intimidate - at least not blatantly. People seemed to move out of their way without so much as a threat or a dirty look from them and without announcing it, everyone knew their name. The tourists gossiped and admired the boys from a distance, but as soon as they headed home, the Lost Boys seemed to fade out of existence in their minds. 

This evening they moved in a tight group. There were four tonight, but occasionally two more that looked like they belonged only as deep as the clothes they wore. The four boys moved in step, the small one with his arm hooked around the shoulders of the taller, blonde one beside him. The darker one fell in step beside them, bumping the smaller one with his hip. The fourth stood away with his hands tucked deep into the pockets of his jacket while he eyed the others with reserved amusement. It was clear which one was in charge, and it was that one that pushed his way into the video store first, leading the other three behind him. 

David squinted in the bright lights of the store. God-damn, Max could have powered the fucking Pentagon with the amount of electricity he used to light this place up at night. Max was standing near the entrance to welcome customers to the shop, and the well-trained smile dropped off his face when his sons approached. Thorn sat up and bared his teeth at them. Marko waggled his finger and motioned a kiss to the dog who growled in response. David offered Max a smile as they passed and his sire turned to follow them with his look of disbelief. He could hear echos of _‘What did I tell you…’_ resonate inside his head, but he ignored them. Of course, they weren’t supposed to come to the store when people were there. The less they were seen together in public, the safer they would be in the town in the long run. Besides, the boys had a bad habit of fucking things up whenever they visited.

Even in the store, the four of them moved together. They rounded the counter, pushing one another and joking. “Check it out,” Paul said as he grabbed a copy of _The Goonies_ off the counter. “Think we could take it?”

“We don’t have a tv, dumbass,” Dwayne chided as he leaned through the window between Paul and David’s shoulders. “You gonna read the cover?”

“Naw man, you know I don’t read.”

David paused while his brothers laughed to themselves. Max’s attention had been pulled away toward a woman and her small kid that had just come in. Was he always this friendly to customers? David thought it was over the top, but that must have been why he’d had good business for so long. The longer Max looked at the woman - who had evidently had just been borrowing the kid - the friendlier he got.

“I only come here to watch one thing,” Paul said as he slid up closer to the register with Marko and Dwayne. 

The cashier, Maria, knew them well. They’d only been in the store a couple of times, but they always made a point to pay her attention. They’d seen one another on her off-nights out on the beach. Only Marko stayed to lean over the counter and get a better look at her. He graced her with a sly grin and she laughed at him and shook her head. Marko could feel the blood rush into her cheeks from across the counter.

_Check this out._

Simultaneously, the boys turned to catch a glimpse of the woman with the short, red hair as she accepted a lollipop from Max with a wide smile on her face. They moved in a line - David at the front, closely followed by Dwayne, then Paul, then Marko - and coiled around, between her and the door, effectively blocking her exit. 

_He seems interested._

_Looks like Dad’s got a new toy._

_She’s cute._

Max’s attention turned to David now, over the small woman’s head. “I told you not to come in here anymore,” he said with a frown. _Don’t make me tell you again._

_New friend?_

_I mean it, David._

David smiled at him and glanced at the lady one more time. It wasn’t like Max to blatantly flaunt his meals. Dwayne nodded at Max ever so slightly and Paul, leaning on his brother’s shoulder, flashed him an ‘okay’ sign before following the others out the door. Marko hung back, looking the woman over once more and shooting Max a knowing look.

_Let’s go._

The four of them strolled to the corner and hopped on their bikes. Their collective thoughts whirled around curiosity and amusement. Max was a flirt, and any time they got second-hand embarrassment from him was enough to laugh about. It could have been his good entrepreneurship, but it seemed to all of them that his feelings went beyond that. 

Never had David really considered what Max’s romantic endeavours were like. It was a bit like imagining your parents having sex and definitely not something he wanted to picture. Maybe he was going to find a girl he liked and change her. David chuckled to himself as they peeled out of the parking lot of the store, barely avoiding tourist pedestrians and Max’s car on the way out. Sure. Max was going to risk blowing his cover because of some girl he liked. ‘Feed, thrive, survive’ was the number one thing he had taught them over the years. Having a fledgling wife would certainly jeopardize that mantra. 

David turned down a crowded street and down into the parking lot by the pier. The others followed in an organized fashion, without thought and without hesitation. It seemed to those around them, as they jumped out of the way of the sudden traffic, that they’d rehearsed this many times before. 

_Star wants out,_ David told them. Star had been planning to make her first kill - something she had been nervous about and reluctant to do. She had been adamant about not allowing Laddie to be present for it. David had assured her they’d come and get him when it was time. 

_Think she found a snack?_ Paul asked. Dwayne’s laughter could be heard over their engines. They were happy for her, of course, but more relieved that she’d finally relented. Having a half-vampire around all the time was inconvenient and nerve-wracking. They’d never seen someone last so long without feeding. Every minute she was growing weaker and weaker. One day she was bound to crack - and fuck them all over in the process.

But something told David she wouldn’t make it that easy. She and Laddie had only been at the concert for an hour or two. Knowing Star, she was going to drag the whole thing out with some ridiculous excuses about morals and personal feelings.

As they swung around the corner, they saw her. She was holding Laddie lightly on the shoulders, his back pressed tightly against her front. The boy lit up when he saw them and immediately ran over to Dwayne’s bike as they came to a stop in a semi-circle around them. Dwayne lifted him carefully by one arm and swung him onto the pillion. Without a word, Star climbed onto the back of David’s bike.

 _Something wrong?_ he asked her. 

_I’ve got a suitor,_ she said. _Brown, curly hair. Tan jacket._

David didn’t have trouble finding him. The boy was obviously starstruck. He stood on the other side of the street, gaping at Star with his jaw on the floor. 

_What did you do to him?_

_Nothing, he flipped when he saw me._

David smiled at the kid. It was always cute to see how humans reacted to them. He never got over how men reacted around Star. They seemed to lose every sense of themselves when they looked at her. David had never had that effect on people, but some of his brothers did. He imagined it was annoying.

_You gonna eat him?_

Star wrapped her arms around his middle section as the others took off on their bikes.

 _Maybe. I think I’m gonna play with him first._

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You’re outta time, kid.”

The boys stared at one another. They sat in a poor excuse for a circle, taking lazy drags from a blunt they passed around in a familiar ritual. 

“I don’t know his name,” Star said, failing to keep the smirk off of her face. She was seated on her bed, curtains pushed away to reveal her pulling a broken comb through Laddie’s hair. The boy winced but didn’t struggle against her grip. He was seated cross-legged on the floor in front of her, pouting wildly. “It was weird. Usually, people give me space. He didn’t. He actually followed me down the boardwalk…”

“People give you space because they know better,” David interrupted. 

“Like a rabbit runs from a wolf,” Dwayne said with a smirk as he passed the joint to Paul. “Humans know better than to get too close unless they have a death wish.”

“He had a brother, I think,” Star mused. Her eyes were glued to the ceiling where a million cobwebs painted ornate columns. She tugged through a tangle in Laddie’s hair. “When we were leaving, I saw him with someone else. A boy, maybe a little older than Laddie.”

“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a death wish.” Marko pushed himself into a sitting position to reach out for a bottle of lager on the table. “Brothers can suck.”

Paul cackled at the comment and kicked Marko off of the couch. The smaller boy turned around, hissing.

“Well maybe he thought you were cute then,” David drawled. Sky nodded thoughtfully. “You think he’s cute too.” She glared at him, but didn’t argue. “He’d be a good snack-”

Paul snorted. “Easy prey.” 

Laddie turned to look at Star now. His face was questioning. “Prey?” he asked. 

“Don’t worry about it, Laddie,” she soothed.

The boys laughed again. Dwayne stood and crossed the foyer, holding his hand out to the little vampire. “Come on, dude. Let’s go for a ride.” Without hesitation, Laddie jumped up and took his hand. The others took their time falling in line as they made their way out of the cave.

The sky was a deep red. The sun had just set, and the world around them had an unsettling, bright hue as they scaled the side of the cliffs at Hudson’s Bluff. “Is he your choice then?” David nearly spat the word choice. It was clear he was annoyed at the grandeur she was bestowing on such an instinctual task. Every time she talked about the details of her first kill, David couldn’t help but be annoyed. It was clear she was hanging on to her humanity, even if she didn’t realize it. The metaphorical divide between them had seemed to dissolve, but they all knew it was still there. Star was not like the others. Laddie, it seemed, was following suit. 

“I don’t know, David-”

“He should be. You’re outta time, kid.”

They hung back from the rest of the group. Naturally, when David was last, Marko took the lead. The strongest kept to the outsides. The others mounted their motorcycles. Dwayne pulled Laddie up onto his seat and Marko walked his bike to turn to the front. 

David placed a gloved hand on Star’s shoulder - a signal for her to stop which she obeyed immediately. “I want you to kill him. Tonight.” Her expression showed no sign of shock. If he had to guess, he’d say she looked like she’d just resolved to do something awful and unavoidable. David perked an eyebrow as if to reiterate that he was waiting for a response.

Star averted her eyes. “Fine. Okay.” 

David nodded and they continued toward the group. “You tell me if you want me to pick Laddie up. Otherwise, you make that kill. It’s time for this shit to be done.”

\---

It was rare that Max ask to speak with them. Usually, if he had anything to say, he spoke with David. Although there were no harsh feelings between the boys and their surrogate father, Max seemed too tied up with his business endeavors to make much of the family dynamic work out. 

His house was dim but whirred with the sound of old pinball machines and neon signs. It echoed the boardwalk in a weird, sadistic sort of way. A man who’d covered a hundred years or more was so enamored with amusements. It reminded Marko of those loud, colorful birds that used their exotic dances to attract mates. Max was much the same way. He was wealthy. He was flashy. He was flirty. When he wanted something, he got it. He would trap his prey in his big, luxurious playrooms and then end their lives - simple as that. 

Marko admired him for that. As bloodthirsty killers went, the man was kind and gentle. He had a vision, a normal life for a group of people that were cursed and had no control over their place in the world. He had made a good life for all of them. That’s why Marko wasn’t surprised when he summoned them that night. 

“I’m in love.”

The boys didn’t answer. Between the four of them, thoughts scattered back and forth, flitting freely like a jumble of panicked moths around a flame.

Paul snorted. _Is this some kinda joke?_

Marko grinned. _I knew it would be some bullshit like this._

Dwayne sighed. _This is what we’re here for?_

But David frowned. The amusement that came from the others didn’t come from him. Marko watched him turn to stone before their eyes. He took a moment to answer, and when he did his tone was laced with annoyance and concern. 

“What do you mean?” David asked. 

Max smiled at them. He was leaning comfortably against the back of a loveseat that faced into an elaborate media room. The boys were in a straight line before him. It looked like a parody of a military operation. “I mean I met someone who I really like,” Max reiterated. “She’s so sweet and wonderful. Her name is Lucy.” 

“This the girl from the video store?” Marko asked. 

“The same.” Their father frowned now, throwing a look at Marko in particular. “You need to stop coming into the store in season,” he said. “All you do is cause trouble, and you bother poor Maria-”

“So what about this lady?” David interrupted. 

Marko thought Max would tell him off for his rudeness, but he seemed glad for the opportunity to talk about the girl, so he sighed and continued. “She has a generous nature. I like that. I want to take her as my wife.”

“Marry her?” David laughed now, but it was cold and stiff. 

“Isn’t she like...alive?” Paul asked. 

Marko could see him trying to put the pieces together. “He’s going to turn her,” he offered.

“Yes,” Max confirmed. “But I want to turn her on _her_ terms. I want us to be a family. I want you boys to have a mother. No sense keeping her against her will.” 

Marko smirked again. _Wendy Darling…_

“So what. You going to hypnotize her?” Dwayne seemed to be regarding the whole thing as one big joke. He’d been around long enough to recognize another one of Max’s schemes. 

“No, no, that would be silly. I would need to constantly have a grip on her...that’s no fun. She has to buy into it herself.”

They waited. It was clear he had some sort of plan to ensure this would happen. It could also be assumed that they were somehow involved, or else why would they be there? 

“I gave her a job at the store. She just moved here, she was out of work, she’s good with people. She was there for a few hours this afternoon. I think I’m going to ask her out on a date.” 

_Good start…_ The boys chuckled to themselves. Max frowned.

“What I need _you_ boys to do…”

They collectively groaned. 

“Now stop that. Lucy has two sons. An older one - Michael - he seems about your age-”

“ _Our_ age?”

“Now Paul, stop that. She has a little one too. Maybe twelve. His name is Sam. Sammy she calls him-” He smiled absently at this. “He could be friends with that little Laddie you tow around with you.”

“You’re saying you want us to take them in?” David’s voice put an end to the chuckling and the carrying on. The sudden stillness in the room was awkward. Paul shifted from foot to foot. “You want us to make Michael and Sam...one of us?” 

No one needed to ask how Max knew she had children. He made it his business to know the most about everyone in Santa Carla, and following the woman after she left the store would have been too easy. Max gave David what could only be described as a sympathetic look. “If you’re all brothers, it’ll make the transition a lot easier for her.”

They resumed silence. For a moment, not a word or a thought passed between them. The request was odd and unexpected. No one was sure what to say. 

“When?” 

David broke the silence. He was clearly agitated. 

“As soon as you can.” 

David could see a vague image of Michael in his mind. He at least knew he’d be able to recognize the kid if he saw him. He also knew there was no use fighting it. 

_It’s getting awfully crowded in here, isn't it?_ Marko prodded. Dwayne hummed thoughtfully in response. 


End file.
